Far Field Telemetry Operations Between an External Device and an Implantable Medical Device During Recharge of the Implantable Medical Device via a Proximity Coupling

1. A method of interacting with an implantable medical device, comprising: providing wireless recharge energy from an external device to the implantable medical device; and communicating with the implantable device via far field telemetry signals while the implantable medical device receives the wireless recharge energy.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the external device communicates with the implantable medical device via the far field telemetry signals.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein communicating with the implantable medical device comprises sending far field telemetry signals to the implantable medical device.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein communication with the implantable medical device comprises receiving far field telemetry signals from the implantable medical device.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the far field telemetry signals carry programming instructions.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the far field telemetry signals carry recharge status information.

7. A system, comprising: an external device that communicates via far field telemetry signals; and an implantable medical device that communicates with the external device via the far field telemetry signals while receiving wireless recharge energy.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the external device provides the wireless recharge energy while communicating via the far field telemetry signals.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the implantable medical device communicates with the external device by the external device sending far field telemetry signals to the implantable medical device.

10. The system of claim 7 , wherein the implantable medical device communicates with the external device by the external device receiving far field telemetry signals from the implantable medical device.

11. The system of claim 7 , wherein the far field telemetry signals carry programming instructions.

12. The system of claim 7 , wherein the far field telemetry signals carry recharge status information.

13. An implantable medical device, comprising: a battery; a recharge circuit; a far field telemetry circuit; and a controller coupled to the recharge circuit and coupled to the far field telemetry circuit, the controller configuring the recharge circuit to receive recharge energy wirelessly and to provide the received recharge energy to the battery and configuring the far field telemetry circuit to communicate via far field telemetry signals while the recharge circuit receives the recharge energy.

14. The implantable medical device of claim 13 , wherein the far field telemetry circuit communicates by receiving far field telemetry signals from an external device.

15. The implantable medical device of claim 13 , wherein the far field telemetry circuit communicates by sending far field telemetry signals to an external device.

16. The implantable medical device of claim 13 , wherein the far field telemetry signals carry programming instructions.

17. The implantable medical device of claim 13 , wherein the far field telemetry signals carry recharge status information.

18. An external device, comprising: a recharge circuit; a far field telemetry circuit; and a controller coupled to the recharge circuit and coupled to the far field telemetry circuit, the controller configuring the recharge circuit to send recharge energy wirelessly to an implantable medical device and configuring the far field telemetry circuit to communicate with the implantable medical device via far field telemetry signals while the recharge circuit sends the recharge energy.

19. The external device of claim 18 , wherein the far field telemetry circuit communicates by receiving far field telemetry signals from the implantable medical device.

20. The external device of claim 18 , wherein the far field telemetry circuit communicates by sending far field telemetry signals to the implantable medical device.

21. The external device of claim 18 , wherein the far field telemetry signals carry programming instructions.

22. The external device of claim 18 , wherein the far field telemetry signals carry recharge status information.